From 1900 to 1970, land and sea surface temperature records track closely—tight correlation, minimal deviation. But post-1970 a clear and growing divergence appears. Land surface temps shoot up, dramatically outpacing sea surface readings.
Between 1970s to now, the global population doubled. With that explosion came sprawling cities, endless asphalt, heat-trapping buildings, artificial lighting, and traffic congestion: the Urban Heat Island (UHI) Effect went global.